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Happiness At Home: Managing Today’s Stepfamilies

If you are a member of a stepfamily, you know how difficult it can be to integrate all of the new members and adjust to the new boundaries and rules. The following ideas may help you make a successful transition during this challenging process. Have patience. Establishing new families takes time. Just because you love […]

Happiness At Home: 12 Rules For Constructive Communication

Poor communication patterns erode self-esteem and harm relationships but sadly, plenty of people fall into the trap of indulging in them. If you and your relationship partners follow these rules and steer clear of the habits of destructive communication, you will almost certainly feel better about each other and your relationship. 1. Use I-messages instead […]

Happiness At Home: Moving beyond Grief and Loss

In my work as a mental health professional, I have seen many clients dealing with losses of all kinds—loss of loved ones through death and divorce, for instance. These experiences are difficult for everyone. Stages of Recovery from Loss There are some predictable stages that most people pass through after losing something or someone important. […]

Happiness At Home: Suicide Warning Signs and Treatment

It is reported that suicide, the act of deliberately ending one’s own life, is a cause of death for about 4,500 people each year in Canada. Since many suicides are not reported as such, the actual number is most likely much higher. Suicide goes unreported because of its stigma or because family members find it […]

Happiness At Home: How To Be Less of a Perfectionist and Enjoy Life More

This is the second of a series of two newsletters that explore the dynamics of perfectionism. In my last newsletter, you learned what perfectionism is and why people develop the need to do things perfectly. In this issue, you will learn how to change your perfectionist behaviours and enable yourself to be more satisfied with […]

Happiness At Home: Managing Perfectionism

This is the first of two articles that address perfectionism. In this article, we will explore what perfectionism is and why it is destructive. In the next one, we will take a look at some strategies for both controlling the need to be perfect and living a more relaxed, satisfying life. What Is Perfectionism? Perfectionists […]

Happiness At Home: How To Be More Self-Confident

Signs of Self-Confidence Let’s explore the meaning of self-confidence by taking a quiz. Read the list of statements below and check which ones, in your opinion, are signs of self-confidence. Admitting when you are wrong. Being flexible when change is needed. Talking about your accomplishments. Describing negative events in positive terms. For example, “We didn’t […]

You Can Have Excellent Listening Skills!

Any psychotherapist will tell you that one of the biggest problems they see among their clients is poor listening skills. People get into trouble in their relationships because they have not developed their ability to listen and communicate. Barriers to Effective Communication There are some good reasons why many people are less-than-effective communicators. These are […]

Happiness At Home: How To Manage Conflict At Work

Kinds of Workplace Conflicts Let’s start by identifying where conflicts happen. Think about the kinds of conflicts that happen around your workplace. Disagreements over turf (who should do what) Disagreements over policy (how things should be done) Conflicts of personality and style Common Ways of Dealing with Conflict These are some of the ways we […]